


The Agency's Secret Records

by AlkanSecond (Alkan)



Category: Hololive, Holostars, Virtual Streamer Animated Characters
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Mystery, Mythology References, Original Character(s), Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27949793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alkan/pseuds/AlkanSecond
Summary: Have you ever considered the chaos that would come if Cover's idols were actually real and hidden around us? What kind of stories would come up if beings such as them, that come from all sorts of real and mythological species, existed in secret covered up by the agency they are part of?Karasuki Nagisa, scientist and alchemist hidden among society, has been called by Cover as a means to control the chaos produced by the idols and help keep their existence a secret. Accompanied by his assistant, the homunculus Anastasia Nacrina, what kind of twisted events await?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	1. Agency's Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! Alkan here.  
> Some words before starting...  
> It's been a while since I first started watching VTuber streams and, as I got deeper into the rabbit hole, I thought about the amount of mythological references in the origins of most of the Hololive (and, on a lesser extent, Holostars) cast. The lack of an actual lore gave me this idea. I will probably not dwell too much into individual backstories for the VTubers (although there may be some exceptions in the future), but instead focus on events possible during the existence of Hololive Production as a whole.  
> Also, the difficulty of making one of the members the narrator made me come up with a different idea: an original character. Well, two that I created for another story.  
> I think there's no need to mention this, but of course none of this is canon or an official lore. If you somehow came into this, I hope you like it!  
> Enjoy the tale of a corporation and the phenomena that compose it.

* * *

> _No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience._
> 
> _-John Locke._

* * *

Late July, 2018.

As I expected, I wasn't prepared for the Japanese summer. The trip alone had taken quite a huge toll on me and now I had to hop onto a train in the middle of the harsh sunlight. The cry of the cicadas could be heard even across the city. Tokyo was, without a doubt, quite a scary place for first-time visitors. Especially when your first experience is travelling in a really cramped space in a day when the temperature is above 30°C.

I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the huge amount of people. Someone like me, who is used to live hidden from mankind doing experiments in rather dark spaces, was bound to find it hard to get used to a place like this.

Even so, my assistant wasn't bothered by the difference between our home and Tokyo in the slightest.

—You don't seem well, Master. Is anything wrong?— She asked with her usual emotionless expression.

Her nonchalant attitude towards this wasn't a surprise. My assistant, Anastasia Nacrina, was a homunculus. She's not familiar with many human emotions nor locations to consider this place different from your normal urban metropolis.

Which was also why managing to have her understand why she should wear something like a coat was hard. Unfamiliar with the fact that alchemy is something extraordinary in this world, she was doubtful about the need to cover her pale skin and silver-esque hair color.

Her unusual height, however, was something that couldn't be covered with clothing.

—I'm fine, Anastasia. It doesn't really matter anyway. We were called for this job and we shouldn't refuse it without listening.— I replied.

—The job... _Cover Co_., was it?—

—Indeed.—

 _Cover Co_. A Japanese organization I didn't know much about. Normally, there would be no reason for me to accept meeting with normal people, but circumstances were different with them. Somehow, they were able to track me down and contact me personally. There no easily accessible information about me on the internet, so I was rather confused by the sudden e-mail from a company that was complete news for me.

Of course, I had done a little investigating on the subject. Apparently, it is a technology company that was currently dedicated to one strange topic I had never heard about: VTubers. From what I read, VTubers were an exponentially popular concept that consisted on a twist on the common content creators present on platforms like YouTube or bilibili. The twist, however, was simple. VTubers, or Virtual Youtubers, are entertainers represented by virtual avatars. In other words, another form of escapism.

I wasn't entirely sure as to why a company like this would require the help of someone like me. Karasuki Nagisa, a scientist with knowledge on the mythical art of alchemy, had no real reason to be called by them.

There was also the fact that I didn't know the slightest bit of Japanese. Thankfully, Anastasia would refuse to stay alone, so I brought her with me since she can also translate everything for me.

—I wonder what this is all about...— I thought out loud.

—Only one way to find out, right Master?— Anastasia said, quoting my own words.

—Correct. That's my assistant. We have to get down on the next stop, be ready.—

* * *

The size of the surrounding buildings was enough to make me dizzy. That, mixed with the summer heat, was making my train of thought go out of its rails. I, again, am thankful that I didn't leave Anastasia at home or I doubt I would've survived.

As soon as we were able to see the buildings entrance, we also noticed a person waiting for us there. A man who was probably on his 40s with a very distinct style stood there, looking at the street with utmost patience. We approached him and he looked at me utterly confused.

—Uh... _Konnicchiwa, ore no namae wa_ -...— I said, trying to use my most basic Japanese knowledge until I was interrupted by the man.

—Sorry, are you Dr. Karasuki Nagisa?— He asked, making me feel ashamed of trying to speak Japanese when we was a fluent English speaker.

—Ah, yes, I am Karasuki Nagisa. Pleased to meet you.—

—It is an honor to have you here. My name is _[REDACTED]_. I am the CEO of Cover. Nice to meet you, doctor.— He presented himself.

Huh? Oh, seems like this broke. Well, let's just call him "Mr. Y". I'm sure everyone will understand anyway.

—So you were the one who contacted me. Sorry if I'm too direct, but what does Cover need from a guy like me?— I asked.

—Don't worry, there's no need for formalities. We thought you could help us with one of our projects. It is-...—

—Is it that idol agency? "Hololive", was it?—

He looked quite pleased by the results of my investigation. —Indeed.— He replied.

—Then I'm sorry, because I still don't get it. How can I help with that?—

—We were about to discuss that. Please, join me to my office. We can speak there calmly.—

I agreed. We followed him into an elevator and through a short walkway full of people. There, we quickly found his office. The walkway continued, with more doors and room ahead, but I payed no attention to that as we entered his office.

He sat in a chair behind his desk and both me and Anastasia sat right in front of him.

—Good. This is much better. The heat in summer is unbearable, isn't it?— He asked, in a much more casual way.

—True. I was surprised.— I replied, playing along.

—Ah, I hope you don't mind but I wanted to ask. Who's her?—

We both looked at the hooded Anastasia that sat right by my side.

—I'm Anastasia Nacrina, Karasuki Nagisa's assistant. Nice to meet you, "Mr. Y".—

—Sorry, but I would like it if she could keep her hood on. At least for now.— I requested.

He looked at me and smiled.

—That's fine. You'll soon see there's no need for that anyway.— He replied.

—Why's that?—

—It's part of the reason I called you here. Have you seen a least a little of the idols' videos?—

—The streams? Only from one of them.—

Specifically, it was from a rather recent VTuber who's part of the agency. Her name is Natsuiro Matsuri and she debuted about a month ago. A rather energetic girl with quite ordinary clothes. But there was also one I heard of from her.

Shirakami Fubuki. A fox-girl.

I was aware of the existence of other members, but nothing more than seeing them in pictures. Seemed like an eccentric bunch.

—I see...—

I stared at him, waiting for an answer. There was none. Instead, he pushed a small button he had right next to him with a microphone.

—The doctor is here. Please, all idols, come to my office as soon as possible. Thank you.—

One by one, all the idols started arriving at the office. One, two... all the way up to seven of them. There was also a girl with blue hair and glasses wearing a hololive shirt. The place suddenly felt cramped with the amount of people in there at once.

However, there was something absurd from all of this...

—Uh... "Mr. Y"... is this a joke?— I asked.

—Not at all.—

For some reason, the people who gathered didn't look like normal girls or women at all. Instead, the people that arrived were...

—Then... why do they look exactly like the characters in those streams...?— I added to my previous question.

Other than the fact their movements weren't restricted to their head and expressions, there was literally no different between them and the characters that represented hololive's idols. None of them really looked older than 18 and half of them weren't even entirely human.

—I'm sure they can answer that themselves.— "Mr. Y" replied.

One by one, they took one step forward and presented themselves to us. By now, I'm guessing everyone is aware of Hololive, so I'll skip in-depth descriptions. 

The presentations continued in order of debut. Tokino Sora, Roboco, Yozora Mel, Shirakami Fubuki, Natsuiro Matsuri, Akai Haato and Aki Rosenthal. The last girl, who called herself as A-chan, was Tokino Sora's manager and friend who seems to also help the rest of the cast every once in a while.

—I see... Humans, a vampire, a fox-girl and a half-elf... Wait, this makes no sense!— I exclaimed bewildered by their existence.

—Ah, yes, because a guy with the looks of a middle-schooler who's both a scientist AND an alchemist makes a lot of sense, right?— A- chan said with a sarcastic tone, annoyed by my surprised expression.

—I... have no defense against that...—

In truth, now that I thought about it, there was no real reason for me to be surprised. Although these kind of things existed in this world, they were kept hidden. I was aware of that mostly because of my own existence, which was an improbable one. A 158 cm tall scientist who has knowledge on alchemy and pupils that look like stars is not a really common thing.

Not in the slightest.

—But... why are you all part of an idol agency?! Aren't you all supposed to be hidden?!—

—That's exactly WHY they are here.— "Mr.Y" replied in their stead.

—Huh?—

—There are places in this world with the purpose of aiding those who need hiding. I'm sure you are aware of that?—

—Well, yes, but...—

—This company gives them the opportunity of reaching their dreams while also keeping their identity hidden. Isn't that the purpose of VTubers?— He explained.

It suddenly came to me. They hid these idols' looks as just fiction. No one would expect a 2D model of a half-elf to actually BE a real half-elf, for example. How else would you hide something thought to be fiction other than disguising it as such?

—You understand now, don't you?— A-chan added.

—Yes, I get you now. That said, what do you want me to do?— I asked the CEO.

—We want you to watch over them. As one related to myths yourself, we thought that would be the best way to do so. They may be idols, but that doesn't mean they stop being a bit dangerous both to humans and themselves.— "Mr. Y" explained with a more serious look.

—So... something like a bodyguard?—

—More like a caretaker. Help us keep them hidden from society.—

Although the idea still seemed a little off for someone like me, truth was I knew a bit about fighting. At the very least, with the help of Anastasia, it would be more than enough to make sure a group of idols don't create much chaos.

—So? What do you think?— He asked.

In truth, this place was dangerous. A small slip up could be a really big problem for the world as a whole. If the secret of the existence of supernatural beings such as them were to be revealed, many things would change. It could either lead to these idols' fans deifying them, breaking the religious system of this world in its entirety, or, in the worst case scenario, widespread panic when they realize how dangerous these mythological species that were used to be deemed fiction are.

There was also the mystery of how they managed to contact me in the first place. If they went through so much trouble, then could it be that things are more serious than they seem?

In the end, I agreed. Both Anastasia and I joined Hololive. Not as idols, but as a form of security. We would watch over them and make sure no one notices strange events or things of that sort going on in the shadows. Of course, we would be paid like normal workers. We will also take part in the agency's decisions.

I wonder... how useful my experience as an alchemist will be here?

And... how far is this idol agency willing to go? What kind of species will they recruit in the future...?

This might have been, in some way, a really bad decision.


	2. The Idol's Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite announcing that Hololive's 2nd Generation of idols would arrive soon, the current members seem discouraged. Why?  
> The answer lies in their leader, Tokino Sora.  
> What will she decide?

* * *

> _Be the change that you wish to see in the world._
> 
> _-Mahatma Gandhi_

* * *

Late July, 2018.

It has only been a few days since I joined Hololive as part of the staff. They gave me a room in their offices for me to carry out my scientific experiments, as well as alchemy. A laboratory of sorts, you could say. As for my stay in Japan, I'm sleeping at a nearby hotel. Anastasia stays with me, of course, but I had to pretty much force her to sleep on a different bed than mine.

Since I still haven't gotten used to the heat and the different timezone, I've been having really annoying headaches lately. Not like that matters, since I can make my own medicine for it, but it's still bothersome.

However, the agency got big news yesterday. They had already recruited the next generation of Hololive idols. It was just a matter of time until they showed up and debuted. I received some documents, detailing the next generation's picks.

Each one gets progressively worse. A marine maid called Minato Aqua, a tomboyish-looking girl called Oozora Subaru, a magician called Murasaki Shion, a demon called Yuzuki Choco and an oni called Nakiri Ayame. Although they all seem like good people, I cannot stop thinking about the trouble that may come with them. Especially the last three, although I thankfully have some experience dealing with magicians.

There was also one last girl who won't belong to the 2nd generation, but instead was supposed to join with Roboco and her debut just took way longer than expected to happen. That girl is the shrine maiden Sakura Miko. Luckily, a shrine maiden is not the worst of my problems.

Today, I decided to head to my office and see if I could get some of my own work done. At least, that's what I had in mind...

I left my messenger bag at the laboratory and decided to check the cafeteria since, for some reason, I hadn't seen anyone yet. While them not showing up today wouldn't be much of a surprise since they were probably streaming, not even A-chan was there. That was troubling.

Also, I was hungry. Since Anastasia doesn't really feel hunger, she stayed at the lab, but I gave her a headgear with a mic to translate to me in case I met someone on the way. I took the second headgear for myself.

That aside, I did manage to find someone there. It wasn't A-chan, but Roboco. However, something about her was... off. She wasn't her usual self. For someone as air-headed as her, she seemed... depressed. Even I was starting to feel affected. I wasn't sure whether to bother her or not, since it might be a personal problem.

Thankfully, someone arrived to fill me up on the issue.

—Hm? Karasuki Nagisa, right? What are you doing here?—

Although a bit wary of me, the voice that came from behind me was from Yozora Mel, the vampire, which was translated by Anastasia. I turned around to see her, only to notice she didn't seem in the best mood either.

It was obvious that something was definitely wrong.

—Ah, Yozora. Is something wrong?—

—W-Well...— She hesitated in a way that made me feel she didn't want to tell me what was going on.

I don't judge her. I haven't been a part of the staff for a very long time, so it made sense she didn't really trust me enough. However, considering my purpose for being here, I had to know.

—Don't worry, you can tell me. Roboco also seems in a bad mood. What happened?—

—It's not just us.—

—Eh?—

—Everyone is like this. Sora is missing.— She explained, worried beyond belief.

—Tokino Sora? Wait, when?!— I exclaimed loudly.

—Yesterday at midnight. We tried calling her, but she wouldn't reply. Roboco went to her home to search for her, but no one was there...—

I was speechless. In the span of a few days, something big had already happened right under my nose. It was unexpected and unbelievable. Never would I have thought that an incident would occur so quickly.

However, I was tasked with their safety. In a moment like this, I would not stand here doing nothing. I didn't really care what these girls thought about me, it was more of a feeling of pride. Or maybe even fear.

If I failed with this kind of task that was given to me, I would never be able to redeem myself.

—Midnight, huh? Yozora, do you know where she lives?— I asked.

—Huh? What are you going to do?—

—I'm going to search for her, of course.— I told her while preparing to turn around and leave.

—You will?—

—Why wouldn't I? It's my duty. We cannot leave her on her own, it could be dangerous.—

Although I seemed uninterested, I felt bad for them. Especially Tokino Sora. I don't consider myself too humane, but at least I keep some soft spots for people. I couldn't leave someone with such a bright future in danger.

—I... I don't know...— Yozora Mel replied.

—Well, guess I'll have to search more, I supp-...—

—Wait, I know where she lives!—

I turned around. Standing with trembling legs, Roboco looked at me with eyes of a person who just finished crying and was now looking for hope. I looked at her and smiled. kind of pictured what she was about to say.

—Alright then. Mind telling me?— I requested.

—No. I'll go with you instead. I won't stand here doing nothing either.— She replied, just as I predicted.

—W-Wait! I want to go too!— Yozora exclaimed, but I turned her down.

—We need someone to stay here and tell us if Tokino gets here on her own. If she does, tell Anastasia. She's in the laboratory. Can you do that, Yozora?—

She looked at me disappointed, but realized the importance of staying there and agreed, nodding her head with certainty that everything would be fine.

—Good. Lead me there, Roboco.—

* * *

After getting some stuff from the laboratory, I followed Roboco towards Tokino Sora's apartment. We took an afternoon train there and arrived quickly. It was in a tall apartment complex where, quite possibly, she lived alone. 

We took the elevator to the seventh floor. The building was in nice conditions and the people there didn't seem shady or anything. It was a rather nice place, but lonely. In a sense, I felt a bit of nostalgia.

—Here. I have a spare share of keys. Let me open the door for you.— Roboco stated.

—A spare share of keys to her apartment? Why?—

—We hang out quite often, so she ended up giving me keys in case I wanted to come. But that might not be the only reason...—

The doubt in her voice made me feel chills on my body. I didn't know what Tokino Sora might have had in mind when giving her the keys. But with that topic aside, Roboco opened the door and we walked in.

Unsurprisingly, the apartment was mostly quite tidy. There were some pieces of clothing laying around, but almost none, and not a single spot of dirt. Enough to tell you that Hololive's founding member was carefree, but not immature or irresponsible.

I looked around the place in search of possible clues about her location. On her desk were a couple of documents. They were the same ones I had, detailing on superficial information about the new members debuting for Gen 2 and Gen 0's new member. With the possibility of these containing some sort of clue, I took a quick look around them. Some of them had words marked with a highlighter, but they seemed to be important for the agency, Sora's own understanding, or completely unrelated to the case. Just in case, I took them with me, putting them inside my messenger bag.

Sadly, there was nothing else I could find. I went back to Roboco and asked if there was any place they would frequently visit.

—Um... I guess there is a place like that... A bar.— She replied.

—We should ask there. Maybe people there might have seen her recently.—

—Eh? Are you sure?—

—Never discard any possibility before checking.—

We left the building and headed straight for the bar. I didn't think of them as girls that would ever go to a bar, or at least that's what I thought until we got there. It wasn't a long walk since it was just a couple of streets away, but considering how long we were at the apartment it was already dark outside.

Compared to the typical bar once would think of, this one didn't seem dark in the slightest. It was full of lights and people of all ages would gather there. The place felt rather warm for a hideaway bar.

We approached the counter and sat down. The bartender was an eccentric one: orange hair with black bangs swept to the left that combined incredibly well with the bar's color scheme, a dark suit with rolled-up sleeves and, making him stand out even more, the man had heterochromia. His left eye was a deep blue while his right one was a bright orange just like his hair.

Despite the young man looking like he would speak English at any second, his Japanese was that of a native speaker. Just in case, I keep Anastasia with me for help in communication.

—Ah, Roboco and-...! Wait, who are you?— The bartender asked while cleaning some cups. He seemed incredibly kind-hearted and his speech was calming.

—Good evening, it's been a while. This is Karasuki Nagisa, part of Hololive's staff.— Roboco introduced me to him.

—Ah, my pleasure. Welcome to Bar Robel. I'm Yukoku Roberu.—

—The pleasure is mine.— I replied.

—Um... sorry to ask, but aren't you too young to be working? Or even more, to be in a bar?— He asked.

I limited myself to handing him by ID card. He took it and looked at it twice, dumbfounded, as he compared it to me. This all happened while Roboco was looking at us, giggling at the interaction. Yukoku Roberu nervously gave the ID back to me.

—N-Nevermind. I'm sorry.—

—I-It's fine. It happens way more often than I'd like to admit...— I replied.

—Would you two like a beer? It's on the house.— Roberu offered.

—No, thank you, just a glass of water right now.— Roboco declines.

—Ah, yes, an amber lager please.— I immediately accepted the offer.

—I'm on it!—

We waited there for a few seconds as he started preparing our drinks. I interrupted the silence, in a sudden fit of panic.

—Wait, this isn't what we came here for!— I remembered and exclaimed loudly.

—So you don't want the beer?— He asked.

—No, I still want it. But aside from that, we wanted to ask you something.—

He turned around, still preparing our drinks skillfully.

—Oh? What is it?—

—Have you seen Tokino Sora lately?—

* * *

Once we explained our current situation to him, he seemed surprised and saddened at the news. Seems like Tokino Sora and Roboco came here every so often that they are both recurring customers. However, he didn't recall seeing her lately. Neither yesterday not today. He promised to contact us if he happened to see her.

Even so, that didn't really mean much. Truth was that we couldn't get any leads towards Tokino Sora's location. We were at a stalemate.

We sat down on a table to finish our drinks and think. That was the least we could do. I took out the documents Sora had from my bag and left them on the table, next to my beer.

Looking through the documents again, I still couldn't find anything related to the case in the slightest. The words highlighted seemed only related to the possible unspecific backstory the agency would "create" for the idols, which was only rearranging their real life stories in order to make them sound fictional, probably creating something new in the process.

—Eh? Karasuki, did you read behind the documents?— Roboco suddenly asked.

—Behind... them...?—

I took my last document and turned it around. Written with the same highlighter, some works in Japanese I couldn't understand. I had Roboco read it and Anastasia translated it for me through the earpiece. "A nice friend!", it said.

Turning the document back to the front, I noticed it was Sakura Miko's document. By that, it was fairly obvious to assume that she and Tokino Sora knew eachother. I wondered... was Sora the only one in the group to know Sakura Miko personally...?

The only other possible person that could know her was Roboco since she and Sora are also friends, but she would have noticed that Sora could have been talking about Sakura Miko after reading that part of the document. So that only means...

—I got an idea.— I stated to Roboco, who seemed rather surprised by the sudden declaration.

—You do?—

—Indeed. We should at least give it a try.—

—Got it. For my friend's safety, I'll follow you.— She replied.

We stood up and, after saying goodbye to Yukoku Roberu, we headed towards the door. It was, however, a very bad moment to be there...

About to step outside the door, I bumped into a tall and muscled man. I stopped to look at him, only to notice that the man didn't seem to come in good terms. He was being followed by a group of similar-looking men and, to top it all off, they were all armed.

—A kid?— He asked.

Instead of replying, I attempted to leave. However, bumping into him didn't seem to be funny to him at all.

—Get out of the way, brat.—

With his right arm, he hit me absurdly hard. As a result, I hit my head into a table and almost fell unconscious. The pain travelled throughout my entire body and it was hard for me to move. My head was bleeding.

—Karasuki!— Roboco called out for me as she ran to assist me.

While slowly reaching into my labcoat, I spectated the entire situation.

—Now, now. Yukoku Roberu.— The man uttered.

—W-What are you doing here?! I-I already gave you guys money yesterday, didn't I?! Besides, you usually come after mid-...!—

—Shut up, you useless bartender!—

In an attempt of intimidating the people present there, the man hit all the glasses and plates that were on top of the counters which quickly crashed loudly into the floor and shattered into hundreds of pieces.

—We were told that you made one of our boys to pay for a drink. Am I wrong?—

—That was a misunderstanding! I didn't know-...!—

The man took out a knife and lightly tapped Roberu's neck with it.

—You're a really bad liar... Perhaps we should take the entire bar as punishment?—

Roberu was sweating nervously as his life was on the line. Since the man helped so kindly, I wanted none of that. And those people were just annoying, so I had to get rid of them.

Swiftly, I took a test tube out of my labcoat, opened it and drank it's contents. A healing potion, made using alchemy. Although I felt better right after, the bleeding wouldn't stop with just that. Despite regeneration of the tissue being faster, it wasn't instantaneous. But that didn't matter.

—Roboco, can you fight?— I whispered to her.

—Eh?! I don't know how to...—

—Then I'll just have to do this myself.—

I stood up and quickly reached into my labcoat again. This time, however, I took a couple of really thin needles between my fingers and threw them at the man's neck with precision.

Most of them hit straight into his pressure point, which paralyzed him due to the pain and he fell, banging his head into the wooden floor. The others quickly caught notice of this and took out their knives. In an attempt to draw them out of the place, I ran through the group.

Once outside, I reached and grabbed another group of needles. The next man ran up to me incredibly fast, but I stabbed him in the face with the sharp needles. The result was almost fatal, but I knew he would live so I stabbed another pressure point and put him to sleep. There were still three more men and the next one was already way too close to me.

Although I didn't want to, I had to consider using my ace up my sleeve since I had no time to reach into another set of needles. Luckily, Roboco punched the knife out of the man's hand and slammed his stomach with her elbow, leaving him unconscious. I, too, would end up unconscious after a robot made out of metal hit me that hard in the stomach to be honest.

I took more needles out and stabbed the next man's legs and hands, causing him to drop the knife and be unable to move. The last one didn't last long either, but suffered a bit less. Roboco hit his legs and he fell back, while I took a different test tube out of my labcoat and shoved it into the man's mouth as he was down. He drank it all and went into a really deep sleep.

—W-What did you make him drink...?— Roboco asked scared.

—A somniferous potion. He won't be waking up for a long while.— I replied as I put the now empty test tube back into the coat.

While we had dealt with the problem in it's root, we weren't counting on the people at the bar watching as the two of us put all these people to sleep with almost inhumane abilities. That was a problem that we had to deal with as well. Roberu, however, was extremely happy and came at us in less than a few seconds.

—Thank you! You two saved me!— Roberu exclaimed.

—No problem. Just to make sure, are the windows closed?— I asked suddenly.

—Huh? Yeah. Why?—

—Nothing important.— I replied as I walking into the bar, putting on a gas mask on the way.

As soon as I put one foot into the bar, I took out one last tube with a grey-ish color, opened it and lighted it on fire with a lighter. A gas came up and filled up the area in less than a second. Many people stood up and tried to escape, but I swiftly closed the door tightly and went back with the other two while taking off the gas mask and putting away both the tube (now empty) and the lighter.

—W-W-Wha-...—Roberu looked at me with wide eyes.

—Done. Hololive's secret is now safe.— I claimed.

—Are you crazy?! These people already called the police! What will happen to me when they arrive?!—

—Chill. They are all sleeping. The somniferous effect, however, is lighter than the one used on that man with the knife. They will wake up when the police get here. However-...— I explained until I was interrupted by the panicking Roberu.

—Then what's the point?! They all saw what happened!—

—I said chill. The potion has a secondary effect: memory loss. At least, for the events 10 minutes previous to being put asleep. When they wake up, they will not remember anything that happened here. Leave now, and don't come up until tomorrow. I'll just administer memory loss pills to the attackers that we put to sleep and we'll keep on our way.— I finished explaining.

—What? But...—

—You can open the windows from the outside, yes? Open them and let the gas dissipate so you can enter the bar and quickly turn all lights off as if the bar was closed. These people that attacked probably have criminal records, so the police will probably take them in and stop all further investigation since all possible witnesses will not remember anything, not even them. And, if for some reason they trace back to you for being the bar's owner, make them smell one of these. Catch.— I decided to explain further and threw him another test tube.

—Don't throw it!— He said as he nervously managed to catch it without breaking it.

—The effect of that one is the same as the one I just used, but it affects for about 30 minutes previous to falling asleep accounting for the time the police will take to get to your house. Any other questions?—

—Um, yes...—

—Ask quickly.—

—What... are you?—

—Just a passing-by alchemist and a robot. As thanks for saving you, make sure not to tell anyone what you just witnessed. Next time, let's continue this at the bar, yes?— I replied.

—Uh, y-yes!—

And with that, after giving the unconscious men a memory loss pill, retrieving the needles off their bodies and throwing them into a trash bin, we left towards our next destination. Sora's unknown friend's and future fellow VTuber's home.

Sakura Miko's shrine.

* * *

After having to go up a long stairway, we arrived at Sakura Miko's shrine on top of the hill. Even if I was absolutely exhausted, I had to use my remaining strength as my job wasn't done yet.

The cicadas hanging onto the trees that surrounded the stairway were making themselves heard with power, as their cries echoed down to the base of the hill in that starry night in the middle of summer.

Despite such a beautiful area being right there for sightseeing, we couldn't stop to do that. Not yet, at least.

But this place, at least, gave me hope that nothing really bad happened.

What I didn't understand, however, was why there wasn't any visitors...

—Hello~! Welcome, friends, to my shrine~!—

It didn't take long for me to realize why.

A girl with a loud voice, completely pink outfit, unbearable English pronunciation and overly-energetic attitude greeted us in an incredibly unorthodox manner for a shrine maiden. In fact, her familiar look led me to realize instantly who that girl was.

—Are you... Sakura Miko...?— I asked, almost speechless from the girl's personality, in Japanese thanks to Anastasia who easily noticed that the girl didn't really know English.

—Yes! Nice to meet you~!—

—Her energy is... intimidating...—Roboco said.

—Indeed...— I replied.

—Come on, don't just stay there! Come, come!— Sakura Miko exclaimed, walking behind us and pushing us towards the shrine.

Since I was there and it reminded me of my home country, I decided I might as well pray. Process was simple and it required just coins, which I had myself. Roboco and Miko looked at me in awe, with the latter incredibly happy.

—I... didn't think a scientist would pray...— Roboco commented.

—I have my reasons. Now, we wanted to have a word with you, Sakura Miko.—

—Sure, but... Who are you?—

She made me realize that with the amount of shenanigans going on I didn't even introduce myself nor Roboco.

—I'm Karasuki Nagisa, scientist and alchemist who works for Hololive.—

—And I'm Roboco, the second of Hololive's Gen 0 members.—

Miko remained frozen in place looking at Roboco, who reacted confused.

—You are Roboco-senpai?!—Miko asked with excitement.

—Y-Yes...—

—Nice to meet you! Sora told me a lot about you!—

—I-I see... Wait, Sora? Tokino Sora?!—

—Yes! She should be arriving soon.— Miko stated.

—... Eh?—

Exactly as Sakura Miko said, Tokino Sora walked back from behind the shrine. There was a nicely elegant path made towards the back and, as if part of the background, Tokino Sora's yukata blended in with the night sky.

—Eh? Roboco and Karasuki? What are you two doing here?—

I looked at Roboco. Despite being a robot, tears formed on her eyes and slowly rolled down her face. An unbound happiness was released and she ran towards Sora, meeting her with a hug.

—Why? Why did you disappear so suddenly?—Roboco asked her.

—Ah... I'm sorry. I should have communicated to everyone to say I was fine. I... didn't expect you to be so worried...—

—It isn't just me, everyone was worried about you!—

—E-Everyone?—

—Yes! Mel is at the building waiting for you, Akirose was trying to get people to search for you, Haato felt sad on stream and Matsuri and Fubuki didn't stream at all...—

Sora had no words. She looked shocked at the thought that just a simple blunder as not telling people she was fine would lead to such a troublesome situation for everyone. She hugged Roboco tightly and apologized nonstop, almost crying herself.

* * *

In conclusion to this case...

Sora formally apologized to both the agency and her friends, who received her warmly and didn't get mad at her. As for me, it was my first completed case, so the agency congratulated me for my thorough investigation by increasing my salary for this month by 50%.

Nevertheless, the reason for Sora's disappearance was a good one. A few days later, the 31st of July, she invited all of us to Sakura Miko's shrine for a little surprise. A small summer festival organized by them in secret.

It was full of games, food and, at the end of the day, fireworks were lit filling the sky with colors. It was the first time I saw Anastasia impressed by something.

At some point, I managed to find Tokino Sora alone looking at the sky. I decided to approach her.

—Just as I expected, you're a bonafide idol. Talented, kind, and able to cause trouble every now and then.— I said, jokingly.

She turned around and laughed. I sat by her side.

—I wasn't expecting everyone to be that worried about me. Everyone is kinder.— She replied.

—Kindness is not something that can be compared in quantity. People can have different ways to convey it, after all. I doubt many people would think to carry out a summer festival like this though.—

—Yeah, you may be right. I wanted to celebrate the arrival of more people to the agency. I... like making people happy.—

—Is that why you became an idol?— I asked.

—Partially. I like how being up on a stage feels, with a lot of people watching you perform and supporting you. The best part of it is that they are honest... I've never been able to connect with so much people like I can right now.—

—You... felt lonely?—

—A lot. When I performed alone, while it was less, I didn't stop feeling alone one-hundred percent. But now, being part of something so big feels fresh. And most of all... I don't feel lonely anymore. And you know what?—

—What is it?—

—I want to continue. I want to grow big. Perhaps, one day, I might be able to do a big change in the world. A good one, of course!— She stated.

—Well, you know what they say. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has".—

* * *

* * *

The next day, after Sakura Miko's debut, I decided to go to Bar Robel and tell him everything I couldn't reveal to him when we met. We made a mess in his bar and, as the only witness to the supernatural, his determination to help keep it hidden had to be rewarded with the truth. I went to speak with him before the bar even opened so we could speak in secrecy.

Although he had problems processing such outlandish information, he believed me and agreed to keep it a secret. I also told him the story of how we found Tokino Sora.

—So yeah, it took us a while, but we managed to find her in one of the new members home.— I told him.

—All of that for a simple surprise party? Man, I hope I could have been there.—

—Maybe we can invite you for the next one.—

—As long as it's not Hololive-related, I'm in!—

We laughed at the absurd situation until Roberu seemed to remember something important.

—Ah, after all you told me there's something I wanted to ask you.— He mentioned.

—What is it?—

—Wait, let me show you.—

He walked back into the bar's storage. After a few minutes, he came back with some papers in hand. He sat in front of me and laid them all out on the counter for me to look at closely.

—Sorry to break the mood with something more serious, but... Do you know anything about this?— He asked.

I took the papers. They described an unusual scene of a crime and how they had no hints at the culprit. Everything was described in detail, but no one could comprehend how that happened. This didn't seem to be from a normal newspaper, since there was also an uncensored picture.

A room full of corpses of dismembered people. Limbs were scattered around the room as if they were cleanly cut. Some of them even had chew marks.

—What...?—

The bloody mess gave me a slight nausea. Although I had no idea when this happened nor who did it, there was one clear thing.

That thing was not human. It was obvious.

After repeating that image in my mind several times, I came to a realization.

Since I was messing with the occult, situations like this could and were probably going to continue happening in the future. 


End file.
